Tristessa
by Gliterati
Summary: Rory and Jess' teenage daughter reflects on her life and her losses. One-parter.


**Tristessa**  
By Gliterati  
Pairing: R/J  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
Summary: Rory and Jess' daughter tells her life story... of loves and losses. One-parter.

All eyes were on her. She was the beautiful mysterious girl that kept to herself. She had been living in Stars Hollow for a few months now, but no one knew anything about her... except that Lorelai Gilmore was her grandmother.

She hadn't wanted to take drama class, but she needed to take a fine arts. So on this day she had to present a monologue, telling her life story to the class.

She sat perched on a stool. She was strikingly beautiful: porcelain skin, dark wavy hair and bright blue eyes framed by long black lashes.

She composed herself and began her story.

"My name is Tristessa Nico Gilmore-Mariano. Tristessa is the name of a book by Jack Kerouac. He's my dad's favorite author. And Nico was a singer, back in the beginning of the punk movement. My mom's name is Lorelai Gilmore, but everyone called her Rory. My dad's name is Jess Mariano. I'll call them by there for first names for story purposes. Rory got pregnant with me when she was a senior in high school. She went to a fancy school in Hartford, and Jess went here, Stars Hollow High.

"Rory was incredibly intelligent. She went to Harvard. Shortly after she began her first semester, I was born. Since Rory was in school, Jess had to take care of me. He took home courses from the local community college while my mom was at school during the day. And he watched me, of course. At night he worked at a bank as a security guard. My parents didn't get to see other that often and it was very hard on them. Luckily, I was considered an easy baby.

"We lived in a small Boston apartment, on top of a Mexican restaurant. I will always acquaint my childhood with the smell of enchiladas. We lived there until I was seven.

"When I was almost four, tragedy struck... my mom died," she paused to collect herself. 

"She had been visiting my grandmother Lorelai to celebrate Lorelai's engagement to my new grandfather, Luke. She was driving back to Boston and it was raining and the road was wet, so she swerved and... and she was gone," tears gathered at Tristessa's eyes. The stunned classroom of students watched her intently.

"I don't really remember my mother. I have a picture of her though, and she was beautiful. Well, after she died my dad was never the same. He sent me away to live with grandma Lorelai and Luke for two years. But eventually he wanted me back. By this time, he had gotten a promotion at the bank and was working as a teller. I was in school then. Jess would pick me up from school and he would make me dinner. Then he would go into his study and do God-knows-what. Before bedtime he would read to me. Every night, no matter what, he would read to me.

"Life was good for me, but dad was always miserable. When I was about fourteen, I finally went into his study one day when he wasn't home to see what he did in there. As it turns out, he was writing a book about mom. I read it over time, and it was absolutely beautiful. It was the story of a young woman who meets a bad boy and they fall in love. And then she dies. It was poignant and oh so sad.

"A year ago, tragedy struck me again. My dad was working as a teller in the bank one day when there was an armed robbery. and he was shot. He died three days later," and with that, the tragic beauty known as Tristessa burst into tears.

"I need a moment," she said softly as she dashed out of the room. The door shut behind her and the class sat, no one saying a word.

Tristessa was now sitting outside in the warm sunshine, drying the tears from her eyes. She hadn't yet come to terms with Jess' death. But she feel like she never really knew her father... he spent all those years cooped up after his mother had died. She had one single memory of the three of them together. She was about three and Jess took Rory and Tristessa to the zoo. Tristessa got to sit on Jess' shoulders and eat ice cream and see the elephants. Elephants were Tristessa's favorite animals. She still had pictures from that day. It made her sad to think that that was probably the happiest day of her entire life (which consisted of sixteen years).

Tristessa was still sitting there contemplating things when a handsome boy approached her. He had spiky dark hair and dark eyes and was wearing a Clash tee shirt. Tristessa smiled when she saw his shirt... the Clash was her father's favorite band.

"You know, cutting class really is a bad idea. So I've heard," he smirked at her.

"Well, I do like to walk on the wild side," she smiled brightly back at him.

"Me too. You're Tristessa right? I think we have English class together."

"Yeah, that is me."

"I like your name a lot. Jack Kerouac's a cool guy."

"That he is. I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

"Jacob," he said extending his hand to her. She took it.

"Well Jacob, I'm going to take your advice and go back to class like a good girl. I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Maybe we can compare some notes... I see that you've been reading some of the same books I've been reading."

"That would be cool. See ya."

Tristessa returned to drama class and sat back down on the stool. She took a deep breath.

"After my dad died, I moved to Stars Hollow to live with Luke and Lorelai. It was hard at first, but I think that I'll come out of my shell eventually. So now you all know my story. The rumors can stop. I wasn't a drug dealer in Boston who came to Stars Hollow to reform. I'm just me... Tristessa," and she flashed a smile. The first real smile she had ever smiled in Stars Hollow.

Even tragic beauties smile sometimes.

(A/N: I hope everyone liked it! It's kinda short, but this was just an idea I was toying with! You took the time to read, now please review!)


End file.
